Burning Embers
by uoduck
Summary: In which Harry Potter meets the disgraced son of the Firelord. (Harry/Zuko) Top Harry.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is a continuation of my Top Harry chapter, Harry/Zuko.

* * *

It was the thunk on Harry's front porch that made him leave his potion's room, the sparking of his holly wand that alerted him to the person in front of his door. He had just started a potion a few minutes ago, a potion that would ease the pain of childbirth. One of the local villagers was pregnant and had come to him for help with it.

He blinked, peering through the house and to the front door, wondering who it was this time. The wards around the wooden home lit up in warning, indicating that it wasn't someone he knew. And given the fact that he was in territory that was divided… He would rather be safe than sorry. The home wasn't much but it was his. His and Hedwig's. The owl swooped in from an open window in the hallway, hooting quietly to him. "Hey, girl."

They had ended up in this world a few months ago through a spell that one of the last Death Eaters had cast towards him and Hedwig. They had appeared in the Earth Kingdom, one of four bending nations, in one of the smaller villages. Everyone that he had met had wondered if he was an earth bender or a fire bender but he was neither. Nor was he an air bender or water bender. He hadn't even heard of any kind of bender but when he saw one of the villagers bend some earth, he had been amazed.

Ever since, Harry had been awed at all four bending techniques, though he had never seen an air bender or a water bender. Had learned from the village people around him that the Airbenders were all gone. That the fire nation had killed them all a hundred years ago. Hunted and killed all of Air Nomads because of a potential savior. The Avatar.

Hedwig hooted again, this time wary, and drew him out of his thoughts.

"Alright. There's someone on the porch?"

Hedwig dipped her head in a nod and led him over to the door, landing on the perch closest. Harry felt the elder wand fit itself into his palm as he saw a few sparks of flame beneath the door. "Firebender?"

He slowly opened the door, hearing it creak, and peered out to look. The late afternoon sun shined on the horizon, not too bright but not too dim, not just yet. His eyes widened as he looked down at the young man on the porch, the man who looked to be the same age as Harry, maybe 17 or 18. The guy looked to be wearing a set of clothes that did not match, marking him as a refugee most likely. Most of the villagers that Harry had come to know wore clothes that were of Earth Kingdom colors. The guy had black hair that looked uncut and ungroomed.

The guy also had two swords strapped to his back, twin broadswords that looked very well cared for. The steel in the hilts glinted in the late afternoon sun, shining for all to see.

Harry's eyes were drawn to the scar on the young man's left eye. The scar covered the skin around the eye and it looked like it had been a very bad burn. He idly wondered how the guy had gotten it but stopped his pondering when the guy groaned. Harry knelt down to look the guy over, noting the rips and tears in the brown tunic and the blood splatter.

The sound of running made him look up again, only to see one of younger women in the village stop a few feet from his porch.

"You'll take care of him, won't you? He's from the Fire Nation. I would mend his wound but..."

"I'll do it," Harry responded, glancing down at the guy again. "Is everyone okay?"

"It was just him."

The woman ran off, ducking through the trees and around the boulders. Harry returned his gaze to the guy on his porch then sighed, flicking his fingers and watching as the young man rose up into the air. "Hedwig, could you keep watch? There might be more people coming into be healed though I didn't hear any screams or yells. Perhaps it was just him."

Hedwig hooted quietly, dipping her beak in a nod, and flew over to perch on the porch railing. Harry grinned, walked over to stroke her feathers, and turned back into his home. He floated the Fire Nation guy into the healing room, where he kept his healing supplies, and placed the young man on the metal table in the center. "What happened to you? I wonder…"

He busied himself with getting bandages and potions and creams before he summoned a chair over to the table. He cast a diagnostic charm as he slowly and cautiously pulled the guy's tunic up, peeling the material off the skin from where it was already drying. It looked like a big boulder had crushed the guy's ribs but he couldn't… "Where is that blood coming from?"

The guy groaned again and finally opened his eyes, showing off almost golden eyes, that seemed to glow in the sun. "Who… are you?"

"Harry. Who are you?"

"Lee. What… What's going on?"

Harry eyed the guy as he was looking for another wound, one that was open and streaming blood. He heard the slight hesitance when Harry had asked for his name, guessed that 'Lee' wasn't the guy's real name. But he wasn't about to prod; the guy was entitled to his secrets, as long as none of them would hurt Harry. He hovered his right hand over the guy's side, extending his magic in waves into the guy, looking for any holes or leaks. "You are injured."

"Yes, I am aware of that. What happened?"

"You tell me," Harry offered, raising an eyebrow. "I'm going to have to move you onto your side, hold on."

"Move me? What do you think you're doing?" Lee grumbled, frowning at him.

"Healing you," Harry retorted, noticing when Lee's eyes widened as he saw Harry's scar. He knew no one would recognize him here, a whole world away from the wizarding world. Perhaps it was because Lee had his own scar. "Just a moment."

Lee cried out, his voice rough and tight with pain. "Are you a water bender?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry asked, whispering the levitation charm again and gently pulling Lee onto his side. Lee was warm, almost fire warm as Harry touched the skin of his arm. It was almost like there was a sun within Lee, just burning to get out. "Ahaha. Tergeo."

The blood over the wound on Lee's upper back vanished, letting Harry see the small, roughly circular wound. It was between Lee's shoulder blades, precariously close to his spine.

"What… What was that?!"

"Just cleaning the blood off," Harry said, placing his wand against Lee's back, against the wound that looked like it came from a knife. "Vulnera Sanentur."

* * *

Zuko blinked again as the foreign energy encompassed him, the coolness of it rubbing against his back. The skin on his back tingled as he felt a tip of something wooden come up against his back. Whatever bending the man was doing, Zuko had never felt it before. Not from Katara or Aang or Iroh. It certainly wasn't fire bending. It didn't feel burning hot like other firebenders did to him.

He heard the guy whisper the same two words again and his skin tingled even more, moving. "What are you doing? What kind of bending is that?"

"It's not bending," Harry remarked, removing the wooden whatever it was from Zuko's back. He felt himself move back down to the table and his eyes widened as he fully processed what Harry had said.

"What do you mean it's not bending? If it's not that, then what is it?" Zuko grumbled out, feeling the same wooden thing land on his side again. His ribs were flaring with pain since that Earth bender had thrown a huge boulder at him. He supposed someone had seen him fire bend and had taken out their anger on him. Someone who could earth bend.

"Magic." Zuko heard the young man whisper another strange sounding word and his ribs cracked. Coldness invaded his chest and he could feel the tingly sensation wrap around his ribs. Both sensations disappeared within minutes and took with them the pain. His ribs no longer hurt and nor did his chest. The hand that had been exerting pressure on his side to keep him down vanished and he could feel the exact place where it had been, a slight warmth.

"Magic. What does that mean exactly?" Zuko questioned, as he slowly sat up to get a glimpse of the man that had done something to him. Maybe he really had healed him. Harry… Zuko wondered where he was from. He was wearing loose clothes but not… There was nothing that indicated that he was from an Earth Kingdom village. Harry wore a dark green shirt and black pants.

"It's a kind of… energy, I suppose," Harry remarked, as soon as Zuko finished sitting up. Harry's green eyes were looking at him with intent, some kind of emotion that Zuko had only seen on Iroh's face. Perhaps it was concern or curiosity. "Let's me do things that I wouldn't be able to do normally. You should get some rest, stay a while. I can cook dinner for the two of us."

"I'm healed? Just like that?"

"Yeah? I can't say anything about emotional health and I assume you're running from something-"

"I don't need your pity or concern," Zuko growled out, narrowing his eyes as Harry stared at him. "Or your help. Where's my ostrich horse?"

"You had… It was probably taken. Look, I don't pity you or anything like that. I just healed you because it's the right thing to do. Stay here or not but your body is going to need to rest at some point."

Zuko watched as Harry crossed his arms, his green eyes flashing with warning. "I'm not running from something. I need to be going."

Harry blinked then his lips twitched up into a slight grin. "Fine. Walk on out of the house."

Zuko huffed out a low breath then swung his legs off the table, stood up. He was fine for a second or two and then his legs trembled, his knees buckled and the wooden floor raced towards him. Or would have if Harry hadn't caught him. Arms came around him, holding him steady. His heart skipped a beat at having arms around him, circling his waist and his back. He felt… safe?

"I will refrain from saying 'I told you so'," Harry muttered, before helping him back onto the table. "Just barely though."

Zuko snorted, his anger at his situation abating somewhat at Harry's tone. It was somewhere between teasing and exasperated and Harry's accent was definitely one that Zuko had never heard before. "I get the feeling that you say that a lot."

"When I have impatient patients," Harry said amiably, his lips twitching up into a bemused grin. "Stay. I'll cook dinner and go find out where your ostrich horse was taken."

* * *

Harry opened the gate to his house an hour later, holding the reins of Lee's ostrich horse. The animal had been taken from Lee when everyone had seen him firebend and then a few of the men who could earth bend had gone after Lee. Harry wasn't particularly surprised about it, knew that pretty much everyone around here had seen firebenders kill or attack people they loved or destroy property.

He walked over to the side of his home and tied the ostrich horse's reins to a hitching post, made sure the wards were still up, and ambled over to the front porch. Lee was sitting on the porch in a cross-legged position, eyes closed in what appeared to be meditation. Harry still wondered where Lee's burn scar had come from but he wouldn't pry.

"Dinner should be ready in a few minutes," Harry finally spoke, after watching the young man for a bit.

Lee nodded and didn't otherwise comment.

* * *

Harry brought out bowls of stew, hearing Hedwig come around from the back of the house to join them. Lee looked up at the owl, raised an eyebrow.

"Her name is Hedwig," Harry offered quietly, handing one of the bowls to Lee.

"She looks like she's just an owl."

"She is just an owl," Harry replied, peering at Lee in amusement. He had gotten used to people being very surprised that Hedwig was just an owl here. He had yet to find animals that were just one species. There were ostrich-horses, eel-hounds, badger-moles, chicken-pigs and so many other animals that were split species. "And my friend."

Lee blinked and watched as Hedwig flew over to land on the porch between them. He took one of the bowls of stew, started to eat. "Your magic…"

"I'm not from around here," Harry replied, leaning against the railing as he ate.

"Not from the Earth Kingdom?"

"A bit farther out. I had never heard of any of the four kingdoms here," Harry explained, shrugging. Hedwig hooted quietly as the three of them watched the sun finally vanish beneath the horizon, meanwhile taking bites of the stew. "I just stepped into a mystical doorway and arrived here."

Lee turned to look at him, studying him. "Mystical doorway? Do you mean the spirit world?"

"Spirit world?"

Lee frowned. "You've never heard of the spirit world or any of the four kingdoms."

"No. At least, not before I came here. As I said I come from a bit farther out. Where I came from, there were no benders or ostrich horses or anything. There were just wizards and witches and plain, old regular animals."

"You said wizard. Tell me what that is."

Harry wrinkled his nose at Lee's insistent tone but explained anyway. "That's what I am. A wizard. Someone who has magic. I can cast spells or charms or hexes."

"Show me."

Harry glanced around, studied the wards around his home, before casting the patronus charm. He held out his holly wand, whispered the incantation. Prongs leapt out of his wand, bright and glowing, and loped around the front yard before returning to the front steps.

"Just showing you off, Prongs," Harry whispered, before looking at Lee's reaction.

Lee's mouth was open and Harry watched as he inhaled deeply, his shoulders dropping in relaxation. Lee put down his bowl of stew on the wooden porch and reached out his hand towards Prongs and his fingers went right through the stag.

"What… I feel…" Lee trailed off, his mouth shutting on whatever he was about to say.

"Patronus. They're wards against dark creatures, at least in my world. They can be messengers too."

* * *

Zuko stared at the bright, transparent deer in front of him. Warmth, safety and security radiated off of the deer and he could feel his whole body relaxing. "This is… magic?"

"It's a spell," Harry murmured, gesturing to the deer. "The magic comes from me. My scar… it's from a dark piece of magic."

Zuko eyed the scar on Harry's forehead, noting the shape of it. The lightning bolt forked downward, pointing towards Harry's green eyes. "Who… who did that to you?"

"My mortal enemy," Harry offered quietly. "He's dead now though. Who or what caused your scar?"

Zuko turned away from Harry, looking towards the village that he had passed through. The moon had come up in the few minutes they had been talking and the stars were shining brightly. He wondered where the Avatar was, realizing that he hadn't thought about Aang since he had met Harry. Hadn't thought about his father or his sister either.

"I'm sorry if that's too private. You should probably get some sleep," Harry said, interrupting Zuko's thoughts. "Come on. You can have the bed. I'll take the couch."

"I should go."

The moon and stars were bright enough that he could see by them. The deer had vanished while Zuko had been lost to his thoughts.

"I know you can firebend," Harry spoke, catching Zuko by surprise. "The villagers said as much and I can sense the fire within you. If it's that you're worried about, don't."

Zuko stared at Harry, glanced to where Hedwig was looking at him with her golden eyes.

"As long as you don't have intention to harm," Harry added, his eyes glinting with warning. "But you were just badly injured a few hours ago. Your body needs rest."

"I'm looking for someone," Zuko said, weary but not wanting to admit to it. He could hear his father telling him that he was being weak for wanting to take a break in lessons or for saying that they shouldn't put untrained soldiers on the front lines of the war. He stood up, started to walk down the steps to the yard, when Harry laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Lee, you're shaking. You're not weak for wanting to rest," Harry said, pulling him around.

Zuko stared, glanced to where his ostrich horse was, and turned back to Harry. "Fine. I'll rest."

Harry removed his hand and Zuko blinked, turning to look at the spot on his shoulder where Harry's hand had been. His stomach had flipped in his chest when Harry had touched him, his heart skipping a beat. He looked right into Harry's eyes, green meeting golden, and nodded.

Harry's lips twitched up into a small grin and Zuko followed Harry back into his home, taking a minute in the bathroom before falling onto the bed.

* * *

Harry woke up in the middle of the night to muffled cries and swung off the bed, standing up and padding into the hallway. Hedwig was most likely out hunting, being an owl, and the sounds weren't coming from her. He cautiously nudged the bedroom door open, only to see Lee twitching in his sleep. Tears slid from Lee's eyes.

Harry's heart ached for his temporary guest and walked over to the bed, shifting shape. When he had first cast the animagus spell, he had been mystified about what shape he had taken. Hermione had instantly known what he was but she had been puzzled too. He was a dragon, obviously, but one of long body and sleek form. He had white horns on his head and big wings, fur down his neck, and four legs. He was almost too big for the room but he made it work, curling his long body tightly.

He curled around the bed, leaving a leathery wing to curl around Lee's form. Lee stilled in his sleep and slowly, but surely fell back asleep after a nightmare.

* * *

Zuko woke up with the morning dawn, got up off the bed, and walked through Harry's home. The young man, who was perhaps one year older than him, was still asleep on the couch and oblivious to Zuko. He studied Harry briefly, a little bit in awe of him, and then took some food from his cabinets and left, packing his food and swords in a bag and jumping onto the saddle of his stolen ostrich horse.

He steered his mount towards the path he had been taking and spared one last glance to the house. Harry had taken him in and healed him without a second thought. He didn't even feel like he had been badly injured yesterday. Zuko shook his head at a memory, or had it been a dream? He had dreamt of a dragon but dragons were extinct. His uncle had killed the last one.

He snorted and urged his ostrich horse off, leaving the village and healer far behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry woke up the next morning, relatively late for him now seeing as the sun was fully up. He yawned and swung his legs off the couch, remembering the night before and finding Lee. Hedwig was asleep, her head tucked into her feathers, on the perch that Harry had made for her. Her stand was right in front of the window that faced the town, overlooking the rising sun.

He pulled on some fresh clothes and walked into the bedroom, stopping in the doorway. He hadn't fully expected Lee to stay until morning, as agitated as the guy had been. Harry drew out some tea for breakfast and made some scrambled eggs and watched the village wake up.

A few minutes later, his wards chimed in alert as someone passed them by, a firebender by the feel of them. Harry raised an eyebrow and stepped out onto the porch, cradling his mug of tea.

It was an older man, bearded and bald on the top of his head and his golden eyes were narrowed in thought. The man wore refugee clothing, a mix up of various Earth Kingdom clothes but Harry could sense the man's firebending even from the porch. He watched as the man walked by his home and stopped, turning to look at Harry with a curious look.

Harry stepped down from the porch and walked over to meet him, his eyes widening at the vast power that the man held. It had been interesting to see the differences between the three nations, though Harry had never seen a waterbender before. Firebenders had what seemed like a sun burning within their skin, sparking to get out.

"May I help you?"

"You wouldn't have happened to see my nephew going through this town?"

"Lee? Yes, I let him stay for the night and healed him," Harry replied, shrugging a little.

The man's eyes widened as he studied Harry. "What happened exactly? My nephew can get into trouble very easily."

Harry's lips twitched up into a small grin. "He's a trouble magnet, huh? He just had a run in with a few earth benders though he didn't stay for breakfast."

"You do not sound as if you are from here."

"I'm not. I just help out where I can."

"I am called Iroh."

"Harry."

"Nice to meet you, Harry. And thank you for letting Lee stay. I am sure he did not say likewise to you before he left."

"Nice to meet you too. No, he didn't even wake me up or say thanks," Harry remarked before shaking his head. "I don't mind though. I've had worse guests."

Iroh smiled. "Do you happen to know which way he left?"

Harry closed his eyes briefly, checking in with the wards around his home and stretched out a hand. "He went that way, out of town."

Iroh dipped his head in a nod. "Are you a bender? You do not feel like one and yet…"

"I am not. I…" Harry trailed off, pondering Iroh's words. "And you do not feel like an Earthbender."

Iroh's eyes narrowed before he nodded. "I am just a refugee."

"Uh huh. I was thinking of traveling with Lee. He needs someone at his side," Harry commented, rocking on the back of his heels and thinking of Lee's warm body and how he had all but melted in Harry when his knees had buckled. "I'm a trouble magnet too."

Iroh let out a quiet laugh at that. "You are partners in more ways than one too, I see."

"Yeah. We both have scars. We're scar buddies. Hedwig, you awake in there?" Harry turned partly, keeping Iroh in his sights. At the same time, he drew back in his magic, the wards around his home returning to their original form and flowing back into his outstretched hand. He heard Hedwig let out a loud, irritated chirp in the home then a few minutes later, she flew out of the always open window, mantling in the air.

Iroh's eyes widened in awe. "I have not seen an animal like that in a long time."

"She was my first friend," Harry explained, his voice going soft in remembrance. Hedwig flew over to land on his outstretched arm, digging her claws into the leather arm guards that he had put on. "Hedwig, my darling girl, would you like to explore this world?"

Iroh smiled at his term of affection. Hedwig peered over at Iroh before turning to look at Harry and dipping her beak in a nod, her eyes widening in excitement. "Let me pack and then we'll fly together."

"If you're his uncle, why aren't you traveling with him?" Harry asked before he stepped inside. "He's a refugee too."

"He… wanted to travel alone," Iroh said, grief in his voice. "I would appreciate if you traveled with him however. If he accepts you."

"You're still looking after him, aren't you? Trailing him from afar."

"He is family."

"Yes, that I understand. So… you won't be joining us then?"

"No. Not until Lee wants me back."

Harry nodded, slipping the elder wand from its' holster and tapping it against his leg. "Lee isn't his real name, is it?"

Iroh raised an eyebrow, his eyes catching on Harry's wand. "Perhaps."

Harry stared at Iroh before shrugging again and heading back into his home, packing up his belongings and storing them in his trunk. He made sure his tent was easily accessible, putting it at the top of his trunk, packed Hedwig's homemade perch, packed everything that he did not want to part with. Packed his firebolt, his gryffindor scarf, his invisibility cloak, his potions kit and gear.

By the time he was done, the home was bare, a wooden cabin with nothing in it. Iroh was still on the street opposite his home, sitting on the bench across from him and sipping a mug of what looked like tea. Harry grinned, noticing Hedwig flying above the homes in the sky. He walked over to the older man, who for some reason felt like someone he could trust.

Iroh wasn't like Dumbledore, didn't have that patronizing tone that the headmaster could sometimes have. Iroh valued family, like Harry did. And… there was the intriguing bit that both Iroh and whatever Lee's real name was, were firebenders on the run from the Fire Nation. For what reason, Harry didn't know but he… was intrigued enough to find out. And had nothing to do with how good Lee had fit against him. No sir.

"I'll look after him," Harry said, hearing Hedwig hoot out impatiently.

"Thank you."

"My nephew will be on the lookout for the Avatar," Iroh admitted, his eyes narrowing and his voice gone quiet.

"The Avatar?" Harry echoed. The Avatar, the master of all four elements. The person who could bring balance to this world, this world that clearly needed it. The Fire Nation needed to be stopped and brought to justice for committing genocide and slaughtering thousands of people. He had seen a few troops of firebenders going through town and they had reminded him of Death Eaters, though maybe a little less blood thirsty.

Fire Lord Ozai also reminded him of Grindelwald and perhaps a bit of Hitler, too. He hadn't met the man but the bits and pieces that he had heard about the Fire Nation had certainly been upsetting. Their need to prove themselves the best and lording it all over everyone else definitely had an air of fascism. Harry hadn't been around long enough to really know the history of the war but he knew enough. He knew that Earthbenders in most towns had been taken captive and that the Air Nomads had been all wiped out, except for the Avatar.

"Ask him yourself when you see him," Iroh said, lifting his shoulders up in a minute shrug. "Don't tell him I've been trailing after him either."

"Alright…" Harry stared at Iroh for a few seconds, trying to understand what the undertone of Iroh's words were. He sighed, looked up at Hedwig who was flying loops in the air and waiting for him, and then backed up a few feet. "Does this world have dragons?"

Iroh's eyes narrowed and then he shook his head. "Not anymore. Fire Lord Sozin and his son encouraged hunting. It was also a test for young firebenders. Anyone who defeated a dragon was a master firebender."

"Ah well. I suppose they were the original firebenders," Harry remarked idly. "I'd appreciate it if you kept secret what you're about to see then. I… For some reason, I feel like I can trust you."

Iroh grinned a little, no darkness in his eyes whatsoever. "Take care of yourself and my nephew."

Harry nodded and glanced at the town, the little town in the Earth Kingdom that had sheltered him well and then shifted shape between one second and the next. He stood on four legs, with large, white wings. His eyes had taken on a golden hue, making them green-golden. He beat his wings once against the ground and peered down at Iroh, who was frozen, his eyes wide.

Iroh continued to stare at him, blinking once or twice. "Are you a spirit?"

Harry shook his head and then lifted off into the sky, heading in the direction that Lee had gone in.


End file.
